Medan, 24 May 2022 -- World economic growth shows an increasingly positive trend after the global Covid-19 pandemic subsided. This has also encouraged PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. (BNI) is increasingly aggressively strengthening its business with global capabilities through sustainable expansion of partnerships with exporters and importers.
BNI also again held a webinar to build optimism for domestic business actors to bounce back through the Regional Trade Talk Series - Medan Region with the theme "Tips & Tricks Expanding the Global Market Post Pandemic".
The event was opened by the Governor of West Sumatra, Edy Rahmayadi, who was represented by Expert Staff for Economics, Finance, Development, Assets, and Natural Resources Agus Tripiyono with BNI Treasury and International Director Henry Panjaitan on 24 May 2022, at the Ballroom of JW Marriot Hotel, Medan.
Present in the event were speakers such as the Head of the North Sumatra Customs and Excise Office Parjiya, the Head of the North Sumatra Industry and Trade Office Aspan Sofian, and ICC Indonesia Senior Advisor Haryadi Sarpini who will explain various tips for business actors in efforts to recover business after the pandemic and expand markets to foreign countries.
"With the initiation of BNI holding this webinar so that business actors, especially those that are export-oriented, can increase their understanding and actualize themselves in marketing products to the global market. The percentage of Export and Import transactions through BNI in the first quarter YoY recorded a very good number with an increase of 34.14% and 22.89%," said Henry.
The Regional Trade Talk Series event is a webinar that is held in a hybrid and online manner, by presenting speakers from local associations and agencies, the export and customs support sector in the country.
As for the Diaspora Trade Talk Series event was an international webinar held online/virtually that discussed issues related to trade, commodities needed (imports), financing for diaspora/importers in the local country as well as business matching sessions, presenting speakers from Diaspora, exporters, importers, trade associations and the Indonesian Embassy in each country.
"The holding of the BNI Regional Trade Talk Series event is a series of pre-events ahead of the BNI Global Trade Forum (GTF) 2022 event which will be held in the middle of this year. In addition to the regional scale, which was held last March in Semarang city, we also held an international scale webinar which we called the Diaspora Trade Talk Series. And a few months ago it was held in Hong Kong and Tokyo, Japan,” added Henry.
The Regional Trade Talk Series and Diaspora Trade Talk Series events will be held alternately every month, domestically and abroad. Currently the city of Medan, continued in the next cities, namely Bandung, Batam, and Surabaya. Meanwhile, on an international scale, it will be held in Amsterdam and Sydney.
Henry said that BNI recently inaugurated an office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on 17 May 2022. BNI continues to expand and optimize global banking performance, one of which is by expanding its network to Amsterdam to capture business potential in the post-Brexit European region.
The volume of trade transactions (export-import) between the Netherlands and Indonesia is quite large, including the flow of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to Indonesia as well as the potential for Indonesia-related businesses and Indonesian group companies.
"In addition, we see the large population of Indonesian diaspora in the Netherlands so that it can help various business activities, both MSME corporations and various global retail transaction businesses in the future, this is supported by an increase in Export transactions to the Netherlands through BNI by 239.96% in the first quarter of 2022 on a YoY basis," continued Henry.
BNI hopes to become the main partner for parties in the export-import ecosystem as well as regulators. In particular, providing financial and financing solutions, including being a liaison in business match making between Indonesian exporters, especially MSMEs with Indonesian Diaspora as well as potential businesses in overseas.
BNI's presence abroad includes providing services for the Diaspora. Currently, Diaspora can open Diaspora savings account or Diaspora Saving without having to go to a BNI branch, but through the BNI Mobile Banking platform.
BNI overseas also provides trade finance transaction services, bank guarantees and others. For Diaspora who want to develop their business, BNI also provides a financing scheme through Diaspora Lending.
“This expansion effort cannot be separated from collaboration with overseas counterparts based on digital, fintech, e-commerce, transaction platforms such as blockchain and others. This collaboration is expected to be able to reach more Diaspora easily, efficiently and cost-effectively,” he added.